Airplane wheel chock



May 1', 1951 R. J, MENNE 2,551,218

AIRPLANE WHEEL cHocx Filed NOV. l2, 1946 Y ,697m /Vf/y/yf B L Patented May l, 1951 AIRPLANE WHEEL CHO CK Ray J .`Menne, East Troy, Wis., assignor to Menne Developments, East Troy, Wis., @partnership Application November 12, 1946, Serial No. 709,141

3 Claims.

This invention relates to airplane wheel chocks particularly for light weight planes.

The invention comprehends the utility of a set of portable chocks to be carried as part of the equipment of a small airplane for use where similar facilities of an air port are not readily available.

One object of the invention is to provide a portable airplane wheel chock which is light in weight, which can be folded into a small space, and which is of sturdy and durable construction and adequate inservice.

Another object of the invention is to provide an airplane wheel chock which may be easily manufactured at low-cost.

(Cl. 18S-32) An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the wheels of an airplane resting upon the ground and engaged by the two chocks;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the chock in an open position;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the chock in the folded position; and

Fig. 4 is an elevational view with parts broken away and sectioned of the folding joint structure.

The chock comprises a pair of metal frameworks I and 2 of generally rectangular shape which are pivotally connected at the inner end by the hinge joints 3 and connected at the outer end by a fabric or web 4. The frames are disposed to fold one within the other, and web 4 which connects the outer ends of the frames is extended when frames I and 2 are moved to open position and together with the frames forms a triangular structure to be placed on the ground for blocking a wheel or the like moving thereagainst.

The frames may be of tubular construction or may be of solid metal rods. and may be bent to shape or comprise several sections welded or brazed together. In the drawings, frames I and 2 are shown as formed of solid metal rods welded together at the outer corners to present generally rectangular frames hinged together along an otherwise open edge of each frame.

The free end of each frame is flattened and a hole 5 is drilled horizontally therethrough, to receive the metal rod 6 which extends freely therethrough and serves as the pivoting connection in forming hinge joints 3 for the frames.

Frame I is enough smaller than frame 2 so that in folding the chock frame I will lie inside frame 2 and in the same general plane. In placing the frames on rod 6 the two ends of frame I are located between the two corresponding ends of frame 2. The corresponding ends of the two frames should be closely spaced on rod 6 so that they move into frictional engagement when the chock is open as will be described.

A tubular spacer 1 is mounted on rod 6 between the ends of frame I to space the same, and heli'- cal springs 8 are mounted on each end of rod 6 to the outside of frame 2. Cotter pins 9 in each end of rod 6 secure the springs thereon.

When the frames are in the openposition the vflattened ends are maintained in pressure contact by the springs 8 and spacer l as particularly illustrated in Fig. 4. When the frames are folded, the pressure'contact point moves upwardly from the ends along the surface of the rods of the frames.

The springs 8 function to maintain the chock open when set on the ground to receive an airplane wheel, and prevents self-collapse of the chock to folded position. Folding of the chock requires compressing of the springs by reason of the spreading of the corresponding ends of the frame 2 apart.

The webbing 4 connects the two sections of the frames I and 2 opposite and parallel the rod 6 and should be substantially the width of the frames. The webbing 4 is drawn around each frame and its short free ends are sewn to the back side of the webbing. The webbing 4 should be of a length so that when the frames are disposed at about of each other the webbing 4 is substantially fully extended to grip a wheel.

If desired, either or both rods of frames I and 2 opposite rod 6 and on which the webbing 4 is sewn may be curved slightly to better fit the dimensions of the airplane wheel. In Fig. 2 of the drawing the outer horizontal rod of frame 2 is curved while the rod of frame I is shown straight.

The lighter weight airplanes are not usually equipped with engine starters nor with brakes capable of holding the airplane against the thrust of the propeller when starting. An operator of a light weight airplane having landed in a remote iield and about to restart the airplane engine is frequently first obliged to improvise some field expedient to serve as wheel chocks before attempting to start the engine. The present invention provides strong, light weight chocks which may be folded and carried about in the airplane for use on such occasions.

When a pilot lands in a field and desires to block the wheels for any reason he needs simply to unfold the chocks and place them in front of the landing wheels.

In use the chock is opened and placed on the ground in front of the airplane wheel to be blocked so that the wheel rides into the webbing and rests partially on the center section of one of the U-shaped frames.

Various embodiments of the invention may be employed within the scope of the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. In an airplane wheel chock, a pair of metal frames pivotally mounted on a single cross member, web material secured to said frames to form a structure to be placed against the circumference of a wheel for blocking of the same, said webbing being of such a length as to be substantially taut when said frames are disposed approximately 90 of each other, and spring means on said cross member to frictionally secure said frames against relative pivotal movement when the frames are disposed in the 96 extended positlon.

2. An airplane wheel chock comprising a pair of frames of generally rectangular shape, constructed of rods and having one side open with the 'free ends of the rods flattened in a plane normal to the plane of the corresponding fram e, a pivot pin extending through adjacent attened ends, the rod ends of one frame being disposed inwardly of the ends of the other frame, and a spring disposed on said pin and adapted to press the corresponding ends of the frames toward each other, said spring serving to resist folding of the frames to flat position by reason of the frictional engagement of the adjacent sides of the frame and the compression of the spring upon folding.

3. An airplane wheel chock comprising a pair of frames of generally rectangular shape, constructed of rods and having one side open with the free ends of the frames flattened in a plane normal to the plane of the corresponding frame, a pivot pin extending through adjacent attened ends, the ends of one frame being disposed inwardly of the ends of the other frame, a spring disposed on each end of said pin and biasing the rod ends of the outer frame member inwardly into engagement with the rod ends of the inner frame member and secure the chock open when the attened rod ends are in engagement, and a tubular separator disposed on said pin between the rod ends of the inner frame to hold them in a predetermined spaced relation.

RAY J. MENNE.

REFERENCES CITED rlhe following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,184,487 Clark Dec. 26, 1939 2,316,178 Morgensen Apr. 13, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 1,416 Great Britain 1908 174,974 Switzerland Apr. 16, 1935 

